Who doesn’t love chocolate? We at Focus PR certainly do,and probably more than most thanks to our delicious client Godiva, which has helped to give us a refined taste and insatiable appetite for the sweet stuff.
Although it’s fair to say the whole nation gorged on chocolates this Christmas. We do, after all, have the highest per capita consumption of chocolate in the world and the UK market boasts the greatest variety of chocolate bars available globally.
But if a bit of seasonal over-indulgence means you’re ready to take a break from Kit Kats, perhaps you should reconsider. Recent scientific research* confirms the long-held belief that both dark chocolate and cocoa are high in antioxidants and actually contain more than fruit. This has led to calls for cacao seeds to be considered a ‘super fruit’ and all products derived from cacao seed extracts such as natural cocoa powder and dark chocolate, ‘super foods’. It would seem, when it comes to chocolate, a little of what you fancy really does do you good.
Even more reason for chocolate lovers to stay loyal to their favorite sweet treat is the shocking research released this week suggesting that climate change could soon make chocolate the rare, expensive and exotic food it once was. A study by The International Centre of Tropical Agriculture of cocoa plantations in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana – where more than half of the world’s cocoa is grown – found that the amount of land suitable for production could halve due to a projected temperature rise of 2.3C by 2050.
Worse still, according to a recent article in The Daily Telegraph, recent political upheavals in West Africa have already pushed up the price of cacao by 10 per cent on the trading floor to almost £2,000 per tonne. In direct response, Cadbury and Nestlé have increased the retail price of their top-selling confectionery in the UK including Dairy Milk, Wispa and Kit Kat by 7 per cent, more than double the rate of inflation.
We say, now more than ever, indulge while you can. Eat chocolate, drink chocolate and be merry because it’s the ultimate good mood food and the best way to beat those January blues.
*Chemistry Central Journal.
